Fish tape winder



United States Patent [72] Inventor Juergen Niemann Sycamore, lll.

Dec. 7, l 967 Dec. 22, 1970 Ideal Industries, Inc. Sycamore, III.

a corporation of Delaware [2]] App]. No.

Filed [45] Patented Assignee FISH TAPE WINDER 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[ [5| Int. Cl. 50] Field of Search References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,446,020 7/1948 Nicholson 3,355,123 11/1967 Schinske 3,067,984l2/1962 Linden ABSTRACT: An electricians fish tape reel assemblyincluding an electricians fish tape, a reel formed of a pair of annularsections which are removably connected to each other with the reeladapted to receive and hold the tape for winding and unwinding and atape winder which is guided around the periphery of the reel. The tapewinder is formed with a passage to guide the fish tape into and out ofthe reel and a drag surface which is positioned inside the reel and isadapted to engage the tape to maintain tension on the tape as it iswound into the reel.

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FISH TAPE WINDER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to awinder for an electricians fish tape reel assembly and more particularlyto a winder which tensions the fish tape during rewinding-of the tapeinto the reel.

An object of this invention is a fish tape winder which will provide africtional drag on a fish tape during winding to prevent jamming of thefish tape in the reel.

Another object is a fish tape winder in which the means to place africtional drag on the fish tape includes a surface positioned withinthe reel.

Another object is a fish tape winder having a drag surface which isoffset relative to the tape passage through the winder to force the tapeto bend out of a straight line path from the reel through the winder.

Other objects will be found in the following specification, claims anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated more orless diagrammatically in the following drawings wherein: e

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a fish tape, a reel and a winder of thisinvention with a portion of the reel broken away for clarity ofillustration;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the structure ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the winder of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the winder of FIG. 1..

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A fish tape reel assembly 11embodying the novel features of the invention is shown in FIG. 1.This-assembly includes a reel 13, a fish tape 15 and'a fish tape winder17. The reel 13 is made of two identical generally annular-shapedsections 19 which may be formed of a plastic such as high densitypolyethylene. As seen in FIG. 2 ,'eac h reel section 19 has a generallyflat radial or sidewall 21, an upstanding outer peripheral wall 23 andan upstanding wall 25 located inwardly of wall 23. Wall 25 is not ashigh as wall 23. An annular channel 27 is defined by the walls 21, 23and 25. A tape storage compartment 29 is formed between the reelsections 19 in- .wardly of the upstanding walls 25.

The reel sections 19 may be removably connected together in any suitablemanner. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, threadedfasteners 31extend through aligned pairs of openings (not shown) in the reelsections 19 to hold the reels together or to prevent unlocking rotationof the sections 19 if, for example, they are threadedly connectedtogether. The fish tape 15 is adapted to fit in the tape storagecompartment 29 with the looped bitter end 35 of the tape secured to oneof the threaded fasteners. The free end 37 of the fish tape ispositioned to extend outwardlyof the reel 13 between the walls 23 and 25of the reel sections. 1 1

The tape winder 17 is generally flat and irregularly shaped andpreferably may be molded of a plastic such as polycarbonate. The tapewinder has an arcuate-shaped guide portion 41 consisting of a flange 43,a flange 45 and a flange 47 which are connected respectively by centerwebs 49 and 51. A handle portion 53 is formed as an integral part of thetape winder. An opening 55 is formed in the handle portion to facilitatemanipulation of the winder.

A transversely extending generally straight passage in the shape of anopen channel 57 is formed in one side of the tape winder l7 and extendsthrough the flanges 43 and 45 and across the web 49. This channel isadapted to receive the fish tape 15 and is bounded by sidewalls 61 and63. A tape retainer 65 extends across the top of the channel from thesidewall 63 leaving a slot 67 of sufficient width between the retainerand the channel sidewall 61 to insert a tape.

A drag surface 71 to engage the tape is formed at the end of a curvedflange 73 which is attached to and extends from the flange 47. A web 75joins the remainder of the flange 73 to the flange 47. The drag surface71 is offset relative to the channel 57 so as to bend the tape out of astraight line path from the reel through the winder and thereby tensionthe tape as it is rewound into the reel. The use, operation, andfunction of the invention are as follows:

In usinglthe reel assembly 11, the tape 15 will engage and spread theouter walls 23 of the reel sections 19 as it is pulled out of the reeland through the tape winder. The tape may be unreeled by a user bygrasping the reel handle 53 in one hand and by pulling the tape with hisother hand. Pulling of the tape in this manner causes the reel 13 torotate while the winder 17 which is held by the user remains stationary.During unwinding, tension is maintained on the tape by engagement of thetape with the walls 23 of the reel sections, with the drag surface 71and with the walls 61 and 63 forming the channel 57 of the winder.

the reel to the channel 57 of the winder in the manner shown in FIG. 1.The tensioning of the tape will insure that it will wind tightly intothe storage compartment 29 of the reel.

Wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown anddescribed, it should be understood that there are many modifications,substitutions and alterations thereto that may be made by one skilled inthe art. Therefore, the scope of the invention should only be limited bythe following claims.

lclaim:

1. A tape winder for use with a fish tape reel having outer peripheralwalls defining a circumferentially extending opening, said tape winderincluding laterally extending flanges adapted to engage and be guided onsaid outer peripheral walls of said reel for circumferential movementaround the reel, a passage extending through the tape winder to receiveand guide a fish tape into and out of the reel, and a drag surfaceformed on another flange of the tape winder which is positioned radiallyinwardly of the peripheral walls from said laterally extending flangesand adapted to engage the fish tape during winding of the tape into thereel.

2. A tape winder for use with a fish tape reel having outer peripheralwalls defining a circumferentially extending opening, said tape winderincluding means to engage and be guided on said outer peripheral wallsof said reel for circumferential movement about the reel, a passageextending through the tape winder to receive and guide a fish tape intoand out of the reel, and a drag surface formed on the tape winder andpositioned inside the reel to engage the fish tape during winding of thetape into the reel, said drag surface being offset relative to saidpassage so as to bend said tape from a straight line path during windinginto the reel.

